Supportive therapy of a group of Bosnian refugees

Terapia de apoyo de un grupo de refugiados bosnios

From a psychological point of view, asylum seekers constitute a vulnerable group, because of the violence they could have experienced in their country, the difficulties of living in exile and the administrative barriers found in the host country.

In this population, mental suffering often found expression in physical symptoms, leading to medical consultations, and the language barrier is an additional difficulty. In Geneva, since 1995, the "house of the hedgehog" -Jezeva Kucica, in Bosnian- is opened weekly to welcome women and child refugees of Bosnia. A psychologist, a kindergarten teacher and an interpreter receive the group, in a convivial and non-medical context.

This project is now well known by the Bosnian female community, as a place where it is possible to speak of oneself and to be listened to, while drinking coffee. This mother-and-child group therapy is a real alternative to an individual setting, particularly for this community, which has difficulty accepting to meet with a psychiatrist. The interpreter, who acts as a cultural mediator, plays a pivotal role.